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Apr 19 Law and order: Police responds to the community, increased presence for all regions

Police Commissioner Mike Bush on April 12, announced the numbers of new Police staff each district will get as part of the $388 million investment in Police announced by the Prime Minister in February 2017. The investment will see an increase of 880 sworn and 245 non-sworn staff over four years. Sworn staff will be recruited over the next four years from July 2017, with approximately 220 new additional recruits added per year.

The first phase includes the recruitment of 220 constabulary staff. The first wing to include new recruits funded through the investment package, Wing 308, will start on July 10, 2017. These 80 recruits will graduate in October, 2017.

"Today I am announcing the locations of 20 new 24/7 response bases which means that Police’s 24/7 active patrols will expand to cover more than 200,000 additional New Zealanders," said Bush adding that the NZ Police is "committed to meeting the targets set by Government as part of their new investment in modern policing", one of which is for 95% of New Zealanders to live within 25km of a 24/7 Police base by 2022.